Application Information
Thank you for your interest in Habitat’s Homeownership Program!
HOMEOWNERSHIP INTEREST MEETING SCHEDULED!
In preparations for a potential build project, we are holding an interest meeting on Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00-Noon, St. Andrew Evangelical Lutheran Church, 20 Dill Avenue, Perkasie.
You may qualify for a Habitat home. Please see our guidelines below.
You can help us spread the word about our program, and break some of the common misunderstandings about homeownership through Habitat:
We don't give homes away! Our organization collects the same information that mortgage companies use to qualify applicants for a mortgage. Our families pay a mortgage on their homes. They need to prove that they are capable of affording a mortgage payment.
Families who qualify for our program have stable income. The notion that Habitat Bucks provides homes for families who earn an income equal or less than the poverty line is not true. Poverty level income is not enough to afford a home through Habitat Bucks.
How does the homeownership program work?
1. Download the pre-application questionnaire (see below) and send it to our office.
2. If you qualify for an available home, we will send you an Application for Homeownership.
3. Once we receive your application, our Family Selection Committee reviews it and contacts you to schedule a meeting.
4. Once you are under agreement with us as a partner family, you may begin earning sweat equity hours.
5. After your hours are completed and the house is finished, you purchase your home and become a homeowner!
Below are examples of our most recent building projects. A single-family home is still available at Watson Avenue, Bristol Township. We continue to explore building projects in Upper and Lower Bucks. To be added to our contact list, please print out and submit the Prospective Applicant Questionnaire.
Get your Application Questionnaire
If you are interested in receiving an application for the Habitat Bucks Homeownership Program, please click below for a Homeownership Pre-Application Questionnaire. Print the form and mail it to our office at 31 Oak Avenue, Suite 100, Chalfont, PA 18914. If you qualify, we will contact you regarding the next Application Day. The next date is TBD. If you have questions please contact Stefanie Clark at s.clark@habitatbucks.org or call 215.822.2812 x. 307. You may also contact John Kolanko at j.kolanko@habitatbucks.org or x. 304.
Looking for information about our A Brush With Kindness exterior home repair program?
A specific webpage is under construction for our A Brush With Kindness (ABWK) program. In the meantime, please contact Stefanie or John (contact info above) for more information. You can also download, print and submit an ABWK Questionnaire to have the ABWK official application sent to you.
Homeownership Interest Meeting for Upper Bucks Townhouses
Please join us for a special Homeownership Interest Meeting to review a potential new build project.
Ten townhomes will be located in the Sellersville area in Upper Bucks. Each home will have three to four bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a garage. Homes will be built to Energy Star standards. For more information and to register, please call or email: Stefanie: 215.822.2812 x307 or s.clark@habitatbucks.org or John: 215.822.2812 x304 or j.kolanko@habitatbucks.org.
St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
20 Dill Avenue, Perkasie
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10 am
*Registration required by February 8.
Feel free to print and share our flyer!
Single Family Home Available in Bristol
Affordable and spacious single-family home on private lot in Bristol!
Located on Watson Avenue, Bristol Township, a ranch-style home modeled after the first of two homes to be built on this location is still be planned. The home is expected to boast four bedrooms, one bathroom, central air conditioning--all built to Energy Star standards. The property is located in an established, residential neighborhood close to major roads, shopping and public transportation.
The home is expected to be priced at $110,000 and is being offered through our Tier Two model of homeowership, which requires the homebuyer to finance the home with a low-interest mortgage from an outside lender. Applications are currently being accepted for this home. Application information can be obtained by contacting Stefanie Clark - s.clark@habitatbucks.org or 215.822.2812 x. 307 or John Kolanko - j.kolanko@habitatbucks.org or x. 304.
Homeownership Program Qualifications
Homeownership Qualifications for all Habitat Bucks Applicants:
- Currently live or work in Bucks County
- Willing to partner with Habitat Bucks in completing up to 375 “sweat equity” hours and participating in media coverage
- Have a stable income and satisfactory credit history
- Live in “substandard” conditions
**Habitat Bucks provides two models of homeownership. In addition to the Tier One, or “traditional” Habitat model, Habitat Bucks also offers a Tier Two model. The applicant qualifications remain the same for both models; however the income, mortgage and sweat equity requirements vary.
Annual Income Guidelines 2012:
*Gross Income (before taxes and deductions are taken from paychecks) must fit into these guidelines.
|
Family Size
|
Tier One Minimum
|
Tier One Maximum/
Tier Two Minimum |
Tier Two Maximum
|
|
1
|
$22,820
|
$34,230
|
$45,640
|
|
2
|
$26,080
|
$39,120
|
$52,160
|
|
3
|
$29,340
|
$44,010
|
$58,680
|
|
4
|
$32,600
|
$48,900
|
$65,200
|
|
5
|
$35,210
|
$52,810
|
$70,420
|
|
6
|
$37,820
|
$56,720
|
$75,630
|
|
7
|
$40,420
|
$60,640
|
$80,850
|
|
8
|
$43,030
|
$64,550
|
$86,060
|
*Applications are evaluated on several criteria, including credit history and affordability ratios including the Housing Ratio: the expected monthly mortgage amount is divided by an applicant’s gross monthly income. Typically, a person should not spend more than 25% to 30% of his or her gross monthly income on housing costs.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are not barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or any other basis as required by law.
